Now replaced by the Ultra 3, the Ultra 2 was a modest update on its predecessor that added a faster chipset and a brighter display.
No chipset upgrade here, but the Ultra 3 gets a battery boost, satellite connectivity along with 5G communication improvements, and a bigger screen.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 has long been rated our best smartwatch overall, but with the reveal of the Apple Watch Ultra 3, the Apple Watch Series 11, and the latest Apple Watch SE 3, the whole range is undergoing a big refresh.
Still, with the Apple Watch Ultra 3 knocking its predecessor off of store shelves, you might be wondering if it's worth the upgrade. Thankfully, we've got you covered with our Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Apple Watch Ultra 2 comprehensive guide below.
Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Apple Watch Ultra 2: Price
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 costs $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 at launch, and you can generally find some small discounts during sales events. Expect more later this year as retailers clear old stock in time for holiday sales.
While we don't know the Apple Watch Ultra 3's price in all regions, we do know it'll cost $799 in the US (around £700 / AU$1,200), so expect it to be priced the same as its predecessor in all markets.
- Winner: Tie
Design
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 only iterated very slightly on the design of the original Apple Watch Ultra, retaining the titanium body, raised bezel and protruding Action Button. Apple upgraded the display to 2,000 nit maximum brightness, and added a snazzy new colorway in the Titanium Black look, as well as black bands to match in the Alpine, Trail and Ocean Loop styles. An S9 chipset enabled more powerful on-wrist computing.
It'd be fair to say that Apple Watch Ultra 3 doesn't make any major changes to that formula, but there are subtle differences.
There are thinner bezels around the display, meaning it has the biggest display ever in an Apple Watch, while Apple says the new model is made of 100% recycled titanium, using an "innovative 3D printing process", but you'd be forgiven for thinking it looks very, very similar.
It's available in natural and black titanium, too, just like the Ultra 2.
- Design: Apple Watch Ultra 3 (just because the screen is slightly larger)
Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Apple Watch Ultra 2: Features
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 packs a load of hardware features shared by the Ultra 3, including the programmable action button, advanced dual-band GPS for improved accuracy, industry-standard heart rate sensors and wellness metrics like atrial fibrilation detection and sleep apnoea detection.
It also boasts all the software smarts of watchOS 26, including an AI-powered Workout Buddy feature, a redesigned Workout App, and a clever Hints functionality that prompts you to start functions based on contextual information. If you arrive at a pilates studio at the same time every week for a workout, you'll find a Hint to start a pilates workout on your watch.
The Ultra 3 does all this and more, pulling away from its predecessor in just about every way. The big draw will undoubtedly be Apple's new blood pressure monitoring or Hypertension feature, which uses machine learning algorithms to spot potential signs of hypertension.
Apple is expecting FDA clearance soon, and predicts it'll notify more than 1 million people of potential risks.
That's not all, though. Apple is also rolling out Sleep Score on this year's devices, which can use information from bedtime consistency, sleep stages, and sleep duration to put together an easy-to-understand score.
It's built from data collected from five million nights of sleep data.
Finally, Apple Watch Ultra 3 is gaining 5G cell service and satellite connectivity so you can send an urgent message or your location while off the grid. The internal radio tech has been redesigned to double the signal strength, despite no changes in the size of Apple Watch Ultra.
- Winner: Apple Watch Ultra 3
Battery life
Apple Watch devices, Ultra included, aren't the best for battery life but that's more because they're an extension of your phone rather than say, a Fitbit or Garmin tracker.
Ultra 2 gets up to 72 hours in its low power state, but around 36 hours in normal use, but its successor blows that out of the water.
While we don't have the low-power numbers yet, we do know that it'll get 42 hours of normal usage. That's six hours more, and is much closer to two-day battery life.
- Winner: Apple Watch Ultra 3
Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Apple Watch Ultra 2: Early Verdict
Apple Watch Ultra 2 is a great device, but there's a reason Apple Watch Ultra 3 has pushed it out of the limelight (and the Apple Store).
Honestly, the improved battery life and larger screen might be enough for many, but the inclusion of the hypertension detection and sleep score from the Series 11 makes this inarguably a much better device for just about anyone.
We'll have to wait until we go hands-on, but for now, this is the Ultra of our dreams.
- Early Verdict: Apple Watch Ultra 3
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